New research out from Amazon and the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) found that the online secondhand goods market in the UK was worth £4.3bn in 2024.

To put that in perspective, that is equivalent to around 3.4% of total internet retail sales in Great Britain. Amazon says that £1.7bn of that was from its own secondhand services Amazon Resale and Amazon Renewed.

For reference, this data does not just include secondhand products but also refurbished and “open-box” items (where the product has been returned unused).

“It’s clear that providing trustworthy, convenient access to quality, pre-owned items is resonating with today’s more conscious customers,” said Amazon UK country manager John Boumphrey.

The data is based off a survey of 10,000 consumers in the five biggest European economies (excluding Russia), which besides the UK also includes France, Germany, Italy and Spain. In raw figures terms, according to Amazon, Germany is the biggest market for second-hand sales at €6.5bn (£5.6bn), with France at €5.8bn (£5bn) also bigger than the UK.

In terms of the yearly household spend in each of those countries, France (€180 / £155 per household per year) and the UK (€177 / £153 per household) leapfrog Germany, reflecting the huge popularity of secondhand selling in those countries.

Earlier this year, the French Fashion Institute (IFM) revealed that secondhand marketplace Vinted was the largest clothing retailer in France in terms of sales volume. The company, which posted £693m in revenue in 2024, also stands out from most secondhand-only marketplaces by turning a profit.

A small counterpoint to this is that research by the German Retail Association has the number for Germany a bit higher than this at €9.9bn for 2025.

The vast bulk of these sales in every country is fashion and clothing. However, Amazon and CEBR say that 35% to 45% of UK spending in other categories, including tech and home appliances is now secondhand.

Also, perhaps unsurprisingly, this skews young. The survey showed that 74% of people aged under 34 had tried secondhand shopping, versus 52% of over-55s.

This is notable for the fashion industry, given per capita consumption of apparel has begun to decline in the UK. As Alvarez & Marsal’s Erin Brookes writes for Retail Week, consumers who regularly buy secondhand seem to be cutting their spending at high street fashion retailers.

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